# Need tech halp



## Zora of Termina (Dec 28, 2008)

Wasn't sure where else to put this, mods can move it to where they see fit.

Now, I've got a Windows XP Home OS (SP3, I think) that's missing an important system file. Won't start up because that file's missing. 

I'm trying to restore the disk it came with so it'll run and I can restore the file (which is almost guaranteed to work), but until I can get some Brass-O I'm out of luck there. 

In the meantime, there's two options. 

Am I better off saving the same file from the Vista upstairs to a blank CD then putting it in so it'll at least run, or re-buying the OS and reinstalling it altogether? 

I _NEED_ a response on this D: 


And no, I can't just get a different OS altogether.


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## Eevee (Dec 28, 2008)

Zora of Termina said:


> Wasn't sure where else to put this, mods can move it to where they see fit.


Thanks for your _permission_.



Zora of Termina said:


> Now, I've got a Windows XP Home OS (SP3, I think) that's missing an important system file. Won't start up because that file's missing.


I would worry more about why it's missing in the first place than how to get it back.  Do virus/malware check.



Zora of Termina said:


> Am I better off saving the same file from the Vista upstairs to a blank CD then putting it in so it'll at least run, or re-buying the OS and reinstalling it altogether?


Paying money just to be able to turn your computer on?  How quaint.

The worst you can possibly do is make your computer unbootable, so I hardly see any harm in trying the Vista version.



Zora of Termina said:


> And no, I can't just get a different OS altogether.


Why not?


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## s k (Dec 28, 2008)

Try an Ubuntu LiveCD, and backup anything you want to backup to a media of your choice. Format hard drive. Reinstall XP.


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## Zora of Termina (Dec 28, 2008)

Eevee said:


> Thanks for your _permission_.


...Perhaps I should've just left that at "didn't know where to put it". >>



> I would worry more about why it's missing in the first place than how to get it back.  Do virus/malware check.


Thing is, I can't even get it to start up so I CAN figure out why it's missing.
I'd love to know why the file's missing so I can make sure it doesn't happen again, but I don't know if there's another way to do the check or not.
I'll go look up how to do that if there is a way though.



> Paying money just to be able to turn your computer on?  How quaint.


It's far better than being stuck on obsolete garbage for the rest of my life.
I have a lot of things I need to fix that computer for, that I can't do at _all_ on this piece of shit that I'm using now.
Managed to find a few used ones of the same version for what I have though. :/



> The worst you can possibly do is make your computer unbootable, so I hardly see any harm in trying the Vista version.


This, I will try.



> Why not?


Three reasons.

1) Mom won't let me get one
2) No idea where to get a different one for real cheap; also the reason I have to go used on the OS I'm using
3) Would give Linux a shot but I have no idea at all where I'd find that.


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## Eevee (Dec 28, 2008)

http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu


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## s k (Dec 28, 2008)

Zora of Termina said:


> 3) Would give Linux a shot but I have no idea at all where I'd find that.


http://www.ubuntu.com/
and http://www.distrowatch.com/ has a huge database of available distros


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## Doctor Jimmy (Jan 25, 2009)

Zora of Termina said:


> Mom won't let me get one


Why the fuck not? Your computer is busted already, what's the worst that could happen?


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## Zora of Termina (Jan 25, 2009)

She's a very cheap woman who can't seem to get it through her head that it might just be free to download it. 
At least I _think _it is.

But I've found a cheap copy of the restore disk that came with the computer (the original, we've found, has a crack as well as being scratched up so it won't work), so I'm gonna see if maybe she'll just let me get that instead. :/


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